by Jack Diffley
The deployment of the world’s largest aircraft carrier to Latin America stokes diplomatic friction with Venezuela and Colombia, as Washington intensifies its regional counter-narcotics operations
A powerful U.S. naval strike group led by the USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest warship in the world, has arrived in the Caribbean, the U.S. Navy confirmed on Monday. The move, ordered by President Donald Trump last month, marks a significant escalation in America’s military presence near Latin America, under the banner of counter-narcotics efforts and regional security.
The carrier group, now operating under U.S. Southern Command, comprises the USS Gerald R. Ford with more than 4,000 sailors and a fleet of combat aircraft, as well as guided-missile destroyers and support vessels. According to the Pentagon, the deployment aims to enhance U.S. capabilities in identifying and neutralizing illegal activities, particularly drug trafficking operations.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated that the force would “bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that threaten regional safety and prosperity.”
The arrival comes amid a surge of U.S. military strikes against suspected drug boats in both the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific. Since the start of the campaign, at least 19 such operations have reportedly killed 76 people. Critics, however, have raised concerns over possible human rights violations and lack of due process.
The intensified U.S. military posture has heightened tensions with regional governments, most notably Venezuela and Colombia. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has accused Washington of “fabricating” a crisis in order to undermine his socialist administration. Meanwhile, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who has publicly clashed with Trump, ordered a freeze on intelligence-sharing with U.S. agencies until the maritime attacks cease.
“The fight against drugs must be subordinated to the human rights of the Caribbean people,” Petro wrote on social media platform X.
Earlier this month, Colombia also launched its own airstrikes against guerrilla drug traffickers in the Amazon region, killing 19, according to AFP.
In a recent interview with CBS, President Trump defended the U.S. campaign, asserting that each targeted boat represents “25,000 lives destroyed by drugs.” He did not rule out potential land-based strikes in Venezuela, saying, “I wouldn’t be inclined to say that I would do that… I’m not gonna tell you what I’m gonna do with Venezuela.”
With thousands of U.S. troops already stationed across the region, including in Puerto Rico alongside a nuclear-powered submarine and additional air assets, this marks the largest American military presence in Latin America in decades.
(Associated Medias) – all rights reserved
L’articolo USS Gerald R. Ford Strike Group Enters Caribbean Amid U.S. Anti-Drug Campaign and Rising Tensions proviene da Associated Medias.
